Model
Midea MLHW31S2BBW
Rank #26 means 25 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 51st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 51% of those models.
What does the Midea MLHW31S2BBW cost to run per year?
The Midea MLHW31S2BBW runs for about $14 a year, landing it near the bottom of the cost table at rank #26 of 388 washing machine models we track. Efficiency-wise, once size is accounted for, it sits right around the class median, ahead of 51% of the models we track. At a IMEF of 2.76, its integrated modified energy factor is the single figure that best explains how it earns its running-cost number.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Midea MLHW31S2BB at $14/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea MLHW31S2BWW at $14/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A washing machine typically stays in service for somewhere around 10 years; over that span, the Midea MLHW31S2BBW's $14/yr adds up to roughly $140 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Aeg WHP120.
By the numbers
The Midea MLHW31S2BBW normalized against its whole class, so each figure means something.
What it costs you over time
Running cost is an every-year number, so it compounds. At $14/yr, here is what the Midea MLHW31S2BBW adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Midea MLHW31S2BBW costs about $140. That is roughly $60 less than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Midea MLHW31S2BBW compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $14/yr, it runs about $6 a year cheaper than the class median of $20, and it is about $7 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 2.7 cu ft, the Midea MLHW31S2BBW is a small washing machine for its class, which spans 1.9 to 6 cu ft with a median of 4.5 cu ft, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is. The IMEF of 2.76 on this model, above the class median of 2.76, measures integrated modified energy factor; it is the number to compare directly against another model's IMEF if capacity is similar.
- Spin and wash efficiency (IMEF). IMEF is this class's core efficiency yardstick; two washers with the same drum size can carry meaningfully different IMEF figures and running costs.
- Drum volume. A larger-capacity washer can wash more per load, which can lower cost per pound of laundry, but it also draws more water and energy per cycle if you are not filling it.
- Water heating. Most washers rely on your home's hot water supply, but internal-heater sanitize or hot-wash cycles use meaningfully more electricity than a cold or warm wash.
Common questions
Is the Midea MLHW31S2BBW cheap to run?
Yes. Its $14/yr running cost puts it at rank #26 of 388, below what most washing machine models we track cost to run.
How much does the Midea MLHW31S2BBW cost per month?
About $1.16 a month, which is the $14 annual estimate spread across twelve months at the US average rate of $0.1856/kWh. Your own bill scales with your local electricity rate and how heavily you use it.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
The formula is annual kWh times price per kWh: 75 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $14 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Midea MLHW31S2BBW for its size?
51st percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Midea MLHW31S2BB2.7 cu ft | $14 |
| 36 | Midea MLHW27S7BWW2.7 cu ft | $14 |
| 35 | Midea MLHW27S7BCG2.7 cu ft | $14 |
| 34 | Midea MLH27N5AWWC2.7 cu ft | $14 |
| 33 | Magic Chef MCSFLW27W2.7 cu ft | $14 |
Source
ES_1129046_MLHW31S2BBW_092420250236515_6305619View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Midea and MLHW31S2BBW are used here for identification only and are not endorsements. Figures are computed by WattWise Labs from public ENERGY STAR data, not measured in our own lab.